Zenn Scarlett

Zenn Scarlett #1

by Christian Schoon

When you're studying to be exoveterinarian specializing in exotic, alien life forms, school... is a different kind of animal.

Zenn Scarlett is a resourceful, determined 17-year-old girl working hard to make it through her novice year of exovet training. That means she's learning to care for alien creatures that are mostly large, generally dangerous and profoundly fascinating. Zenn’s all-important end-of-term tests at the Ciscan Cloister Exovet Clinic on Mars are coming up, and, she's feeling confident of acing the exams. But when a series of inexplicable animal escapes and other disturbing events hit the school, Zenn finds herself being blamed for the problems. As if this isn't enough to deal with, her absent father has abruptly stopped communicating with her; Liam Tucker, a local towner boy, is acting unusually, annoyingly friendly; and, strangest of all: Zenn is worried she's started sharing the thoughts of the creatures around her. Which is impossible, of course. Nonetheless, she can't deny what she's feeling.

Now, with the help of Liam and Hamish, an eight-foot sentient insectoid also training at the clinic, Zenn must learn what's happened to her father, solve the mystery of who, if anyone, is sabotaging the cloister, and determine if she's actually sensing the consciousness of her alien patients... or just losing her mind. All without failing her novice year....

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Aliens, Fantasy, Dystopia, Mystery, Space

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2013

About the author

Hi there. I'm a science fiction author and TV scriptwriter who something something worked at Disney blah blah blah and played in some rock bands and something something started writing novels. OK, enough of that for now. Instead, here's what some early reviewers had to say about Zenn's newest adventure:

**** “…Under Nameless Stars is a wonderful sequel… The world building continues to be excellent and oodles of fun! It’s jam packed with colorful characters, humor, and action. I got a bit teary eyed at the end... I certainly hope there are more adventures to come for Mars’ newest hero!” – Pinkindle Reads and Reviews

****½ “An exciting and worthy follow-up to Zenn Scarlett, with an assortment of loveable new characters… Under Nameless Stars was a perfect blend of action and adventure, character development and humor. Schoon once again proves how inventive he is by adding a plethora of alien critters to his story, lovingly described and fantastically imagined. Add in a hefty amount of adventure and you have a winning combination…. Zenn is truly is one of my favorite young adult characters.”—Tammy Sparks, Books, Bones & Buffy

**** “Action-packed … I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun space adventure and, of course, to anyone who enjoyed the first book.” – Tsana Dolichva, Astrophysicist and Science Fiction Author, Tsana’s Reads & Reviews

**** “It’s like Doctor Who meets Dr. Dolittle… Schoon has really upped the ante with this book. A great sequel to one of my favourite books from last year.” – Ryan Lawler Reviews, Goodreads

**** “(The Zenn Scarlett) series is another unique addition to its genre: YA Sci-Fi, from Strange Chemistry/ Angry Robot Books. I was very impressed with the world building in this novel… Schoon has a vivid and fascinating imagination, and his novels are absolutely overflowing with his inventive creatures and settings.” – Avid Reviews

**** “…this one I seriously enjoyed…full of action and humour and plenty of food for thought too. A very good science fiction read with all the elements there… The themes are quite universal… but they're still very much relevant for our current society. Very well deserved 4 stars. A fun page turner!” – Pili’s Reviews, Goodreads

**** “…just wow! The series has this rich diversity of planets and alien species… It was amazing and interesting how the author makes it all fit so well… highly entertaining.” – YA on My Mind

Still with me? Great! So, if you're interested, here's the author-ly stuff (which will be written in the 3rd person, just 'cause that's how I roll. Sometimes):

Christian Schoon worked his way through college writing lyrics and singing lead in a number of regional rock bands (one opened for Santana in Omaha. You DO remember Santana, right?)He did a stint as an-house copywriter at the Walt Disney Company, followed by work as a freelance script/copywriter in Los Angeles. After moving back to the Midwest, he bought a farm, started volunteering with a group that rescues abused/neglected horses and another group helping to re-hab wildlife: black bears, cougars, coyotes, raccoons, assorted other critters. His animal welfare work, combined with his life-long sci-fi geekery, inspired Christian to write his first books, featuring a young heroine with a unique career path.

The Zenn Scarlett books chronicle the adventures of a 17-year-old novice exoveterinarian specializing in the treatment of large, dangerous, decidedly unearthly animals. Extraordinary alien life forms, exotic medical procedures, xenophobic paranoia, ominous instances of cross-species ESP and unlikely romance ensue…
Published by Strange Chemistry Books, the Young Adult imprint of award-winning genre house Angry Robot Books. Distribution in the US and Canada by Random House.

Hey, congrats on making it to the end of this ramble. Much appreciated and well done. Cheers!

Reviews

[Maja (The Nocturnal Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing you’re likely to notice about Zenn Scarlett is that it’s unlike anything that is currently being published. The second thing you’ll notice about Zenn Scarlett is that its breathtaking originality is a very good thing indeed. There have been quite a few surprises from the Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry camp in the last year, and it seems that they'll just keep on coming.

In worldbuilding, Shoon reminded me of a kid with Play-Doh and an overactive imagination. It’s easy to feel the joy with which he created each of his creatures, from Zenn’s tiny rikkaset Katie to the Kirian sunkiller. Although impressive, the worldbuilding is also a bit overwhelming at times. The Martian setting is completely foreign, there’s nothing familiar to hold on to and it’s quite disorienting at first. Even now I don’t have a clear picture of the Universe as Zenn knows it, but hopefully this will change in the next installment.

”The native life forms on Mars all died out long before humans came. We’re all aliens here. That’s why it drives me crazy when Graad and the others complain about the cloister’s patients. Calling them monsters. Calling them alien ‘things’ and saying they don’t belong. They belong here as much as we do.”*

Third person limited narration is never my favorite, and I think I would have enjoyed Zenn’s story more if it were told in first person. As it was, I can’t say that I experienced a strong emotional connection, although I did admire Zenn's determination and courage. She also seemed a bit young for her sixteen years, which I suppose can be explained by her isolation in the cloister. It’s no wonder she was immediately (and a bit naively) attracted to Liam, a townie boy who started showing up at the cloister to help with the animals. She and Liam developed a tentative friendship and an odd sort of relationship, with just a hint of romance between them.

The plot takes a while to pick up. Combined with the rather complicated worldbuilding, it might be a bit challenging for a less patient reader. The mystery seemed pretty straightforward the entire time, but in the end, it wasn’t anything I thought it would be. I love it when I’m absolutely convinced I have everything figured out, only to be proven utterly wrong in the last few chapters.

Schoon daringly weaved a tale that is richly imaginative and breathtakingly original. Zenn Scarlett is perfect for younger YA and middle grade readers, but older audience will find much to love about our red-haired heroine and her cloister on the Red Planet.

*Quote taken from an uncorrected proof and might be changed in the final version.

[Nemo (The ☾Moonlight☾ Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

See this review and more on The Moonlight Library!

Back in the 90s/early 2000s, there was this surge in cinema of the family friendly ‘performance saves the day’ type movies. You know, where the poor downtrodden dance group/cheerleading squad/singing class/sports team needs to put on a performance to raise money to save the destruction of their hall/teacher/lessons because some greedy developer wants to knock down their building and replace it with hotels or whatever? And they have some vague problems like someone tries to burn down the hall anyway or sabotages the music or equipment, but the plucky heroes eventually overcome their difficulties to give a successful performance/game and the villain is arrested and everyone lives happily ever after.

That was this book. Minus the performance and the happily ever after because it’s clearly a set up for a second novel. Oh, and this conflict was secondary to what I would like to call a plot, but really, following a doctor around all day isn’t a plot. It’s not even a character study. It’s a patient study.

Zenn Scarlet had a great premise – a vet specialising in alien lifeforms (‘exovet’) situated on Mars. There’s no reason why that premise doesn’t sound awesome. Zenn’s school is kind of under threat because there’s a chance they might lose their land and have to put the animals down, but no one really does anything about overcoming this conflict. Zenn and her uncle just go about their daily lives and chores and lead this book’s plot into a ‘day in the life of an exo-vet in training’, which meant that the selling point of the novel is actually its myriad of aliens, and which honestly would have been interesting enough…

…except that the showcased animals weren’t very imaginative.

The majority of the aliens we met were mammals, which makes me so rageface I can’t even. Several of the other aliens were based on bugs from Earth but you know, giant and intelligent. There was a giant beaver the size of a barn. There was this one awesome gaseous lifeform that has no eyes but could sense light all over its body. That was interesting. But the only truly original alien lifeform in this novel was the baby sunkiller, a massive two-headed beast with wings reminiscent of manta rays that floated its mass using gas in skin bubbles on the wings. That idea was truly awesome and astounding. But unfortunately, it was one of very few aliens that was truly alien, the only alien I could actually see evolving on its world. The rest of the aliens were far too Earth-like. Not to mention the fact that Zenn’s school could only treat aliens from worlds similar enough to Earth and Mars that the animals could breathe our air and drink our water and eat our food.

The technology and world-building in this novel were really good. I was just frustrated that the aliens were mammals. Plot-wise, nothing exciting happened at all – some animals got loose, yeah, and it was totally obvious who was behind it from the start. Zenn wasn’t particularly bright because she kept forgetting basic rules and getting distracted. The blurb also claims she’s occasionally a little too smart for her own good, which was never demonstrated in the novel. In fact, Zenn could have put two and two together to realise who was sabotaging the school much earlier than she actually did and skipped about a quarter of the novel. She didn’t even seem that keen to figure out what was going on at the school, because she convinced herself she’d made all the mistakes that allowed the animals to escape.

It didn’t feel like a mystery ‘who’s sabotaging our school’ kind of book so much as a ‘here are some cool aliens, this is what’s wrong with them, this is how we fix them.’ That part in itself was interesting, but it made the book feel lacking in an actual plot. Plot is not ‘a day in the life’. Plot is conflict + obstacles + overcoming them. I didn’t feel like Zenn Scarlett explored its conflicts, despite having a very interesting mystery involving a missing presumed dead mother that really wasn’t looked at but instead seemed to be an excuse for Zenn to act all angsty and explain why she wanted to be an exovet so badly – at least, I guessed that’s why she wanted to be an exovet so badly. Instead of showing conflict and overcoming the conflict, we kept following Zenn and her patients and their illnesses and surgeries. Even the basic premise of the novel, the fact that there were animals escaping because someone was sabotaging them in the hopes to school would be shut down was only looked at from arm’s length until it was revealed who was behind it, which only gave Zenn another reason to angst.

It also suffered from incredibly stilted, unnatural dialogue and infodumps cleverly disguised as conversation that read more like chat show interviews:

“Have you heard of this thing?”
“No, tell me about it.”
“Well, a long time ago blah blah bah.”
“Oh yes, and then what happened?”
“Blah blah blah, related to blah.”
“What does that mean?”
“Let me tell you every conceivable detail, because you are my willing audience who is desperate to know more.”

Thankfully, this occurrence was rare and only happened two or three times throughout the novel.

The novel also felt preachy in several areas, mostly maintaining that aliens are awesome, science is good, narrow-mindedness is evil and being afraid for no reason is stupid. It doesn’t matter that I agree with the sentimentality, the fact is that it was hardly subtle and felt like I was being preached to. Dude, I’m already on your side! You don’t need to hit me over the head with the same argument two or three times.

On the plus side, without using accents, the dialects used by characters raised in different places were totally awesome. Character voice was definitely well conceived and is one of the great strengths of this novel – because with interstellar travel and colonies on many worlds, you’d come across totally different cultures and ways of speaking. That was great and I thoroughly enjoyed the dialects. While Schoon’s narrative was generally nothing spectacular, it was clean, uncluttered, and flowed well enough, and he did have a very firm grasp on worldbuilding. I very much felt completely immersed in the novel and could vividly imagine the world due to Schoon’s subtle descriptions.

Zenn herself felt flat as a character. She didn’t appear as intelligent as the blurb or editor’s foreword suggested she was, and she had no personality. I wouldn’t be able to tell you how she’d react in any given situation. Sure, she was brave and cared deeply for her animals, but what exovet wouldn’t? She had all the usual YA ‘orphan’ angst, a complete naivety to boys, and would rather be alone than go into town and make friends.

The secondary character, Hamish, however, was totally awesome and full of the character development that should also have been extended to Zenn. Did I mention Hamish is my favourite? Also, Zenn’s pet rikkaset Katie was equally as adorable and a totally awesome representation of an intelligent pet without making her anthropomorphic. I want one!

Overall – don’t go into this novel excepting a rip-roaring sci-fi adventure. It’s got a slow pace and we spend much longer looking at aliens than we do exploring the mysteries of the novel and overcoming its conflicts. However, I am hoping that the sequel spends more time investigating Zenn’s mother’s disappearance/death, because I have a few suspicions about that I’d like to see come to light. I’d also love to see what other aliens Schoon can dream up, because that’s really the main selling point, isn’t it?

Thanks to Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry and Netgalley for providing this advanced reader copy for an honest review.

[Dear Faye · Rating 2 out of 5]

An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence my review in any shape or form.

You want the truth? I'll give you the truth. The synopsis of Zenn Scarlett didn't suck me in - the cover did. If y'all follow my reviews, you must know by now how insanely obsessed I am with anything related to space. Paste a picture of the cosmos on the cover of your book, overlay or screen it with warm yellow-orange-red colours, and you got yourself a follower, my friend. Just look at that sweet, sweet baby. I'd love to have a big poster of this book and hang it on my bedroom wall. It would be a spectacular sight.

But, unfortunately, as a book blogger, I do not review covers. They're simply a bonus okay fine maybe they're also a factor whether or not I'll read the book, adding a little touch of aesthetic value to the product. I read the book, and review the content. And this is what I have to say.

For starters, the premise is unique and highly interesting. It does not only take place in another planet and involve intergalactic travel, it has aliens. Alien animals. I found myself deeply intrigued, especially since the only extraterrestrial lifeforms I've had the pleasure to watch were from Alien vs. Predator movies and a few others I cannot recall right now, so I was looking forward to this book riling up my imagination.

However, this aspect kind of fell short. Yes, the alien life forms introduced were interesting, but the descriptions of the creatures didn't reach out to me. Don't get me wrong, they were all described nicely, but I felt it seemed a little too technical, with big and unfamiliar words as well as scientific names inserted here and there, that I just couldn't picture them in my head. In the end, the aliens simply became mere sentences and words to me, not a being I could envision and imagine. This really dampened my mood, because they were what I looked forward to the most in this book. To be honest, I do not want to read a paragraph three times over to get what was being said or described.

Granted, I'm not a native speaker, and I guess I could use a little more vocabulary on the technical side, but still. I checked Amazon and it was listed there that the intended audience for this book was 12 years old and above, and I really doubt that the lowest denominator could trudge on those descriptions about aliens, procedures, and equipment, without consulting a dictionary. I felt that the words could have been simpler to make it easier for non-natives of the English language like me and for those young 'uns, otherwise, it's akin to giving us a blank page. What's there to visualize if you can't even understand what's going on in the first place?

The plot, on the other hand, was predictable and simple, but nevertheless enjoyable to follow. So Zenn is living in a human settlement in Mars, together with her Uncle, and studying to become an exovet. Their clinic gets a lot of huge aliens to help and take care of, and this riles up the rest of the humans because they're (gasp) monsters and pests. It also doesn't help they have been cut off of all contact with Earth, and are thus limited to the alien planets in the Accord. The clinic has debts to pay, mortgages to worry about, and animals running loose suddenly without any explanation, and oh, yes. She suddenly has this ability to feel the animals. What's a girl to do, right?

The plot here is easy to follow, and like I said, quite simple. I only feel that it could have been given more shocking events, because it felt as if the pace was really slow, or that things were, majority of the time, uneventful. However, the ending implies a bigger and more sinister plot, and I guess that's a plus, but it felt totally random in the end because it was like "la la la la nothing's really happening here oh crap an animal is let loose, oh, no, it's speaking to me, I'm linked to it!, oh, it's fine now, aha!, so it was you all along and you did that for what?! How dare you?!, okay, back to normal la la la la" and then suddenly wham! you're given a twist that spans galaxies and worlds. Um, ok. While that threw me off guard, I found myself to have enjoyed the plot nonetheless.

The world-building was decent, but I felt it could have given a bit more "umph". When I finished, I still couldn't exactly picture the human settlement in Mars. Other planets are mentioned, but what they're like are not totally explained. How the Indras work, though, I thought, was nicely done and kind of made sense to me. If there is a second book (and I am certain there will), I would really want to know what else this world has in store for us. The author has a huge imagination, and I'd love to see more of it.

The heroine, though, annoyed the fricking hell out of me. We're told that she's smart, level-headed, and things like that, but throughout the book, her actions and recklessness merely spelled fickle, stupid and annoyingly naïve. How can someone who's been studying to become an exovet for the longes time, has an "edge, or so she says, be distracted and forget important procedures? Every time she spaced out and forget a thing or two here, I couldn't help but want to go inside the book and slap the lights out of her. I also hated her stupid Rule regarding no attachments because boo-fucking-hoo! If I have friends, they'll only leave me! They'll only hurt me! They'll only give me pain! Me, ME, ME! Who cares if the most important is the memories, or the connection, or whatever - relationships or opening myself up to people will only make me suffer! Boo-hoo!

T_T

Really, sister? Really? What the flying fuck, girl? GET A GRIP! THE WORLD DOESN'T REVOLVE AROUND YOU, AND NEVER WILL IT REVOLVE AROUND YOU! Those kind of sentiments are really selfish, and I really wince a lot whenever I encounter such a situation. I also didn't get her action in the ending. I won't spoil it, but what the fuck? How could you do that?

All in all, this is not a bad book. Far from it, actually. I liked it enough to give it three stars, and enough to look forward to the second instalment. There were just a few bumps in the road, a few things that caught me off guard, but otherwise, it has a refreshing premise and a lot of promise. I'm sure it will get better; there's a lot of room for improvement. Give this one a try come May 7!

Read this and my other reviews at The Social Potato!

[Nerine Dorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't even know where to start. This story just blew me away. I've worked in the veterinary industry so I'm totally passionate about animal care, and Christian Schoon writes with a voice of authenticity that left me with goose flesh.

FULL REVIEW (updated April 11, 2013):
This is one of those books that I knew the moment I read the blurb that I was going to love utterly and completely. And it goes down as one of my 2013 YA reads that I whole-heartedly recommend to anyone who’s into the genre.

Zenn is the kind of protagonist whose mouth is often way ahead of her brain, and for a female protagonist, she’s a breath of fresh air. This young madam knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to work very hard to get it—in this case she wants to be an exovet. You have no idea how happy it makes me to have a 17-year-old protagonist who isn’t a vapid, boy-obsessed creature. In fact, when the boys do pitch up on the scene, she’s not afraid to argue with them.

But a bit more about the world-building. Zenn has grown up in a kind of monastic order/clinic dedicated to the care of animals. And this is where Christian Schoon writes with a ring of authenticity. I spent my younger years working part-time in a veterinary clinic, and the author totally captures the atmosphere of such an environment. Animals need to be fed. Their enclosures need to be kept clean. They’re troublesome—only in this case the animals Zenn and her uncle deal with are also quite dangerous if not handled correctly—as Zenn discovers.

And you get to meet some pretty fascinating critters with bizarre appearance or super sizes that would make caring for them a real challenge—a challenge that Zenn is more than up to as she attempts to prepare for her upcoming exams.

Things aren’t all plain-sailing, however. The Martian colony where the Ciscan clinic is situated has suffered for many years due to a rift between Earth and Mars. Technology is outdated or redundant, and its failure often means a life-or-death situation for folks. The cities face massive urbanisation as people from the rural areas are forced to move to safety. Xenophobia is rife—only the humans view alien lifeforms, like the animals treated at the clinic and visiting aliens, with great suspicion. These are hard times.

Zenn is outspoken and often at loggerheads not only with her uncle, but the people around her. But she also has to solve a greater mystery: why her mother, an exovet, vanished while treating a patient, and the reason why her father left Mars to pursue answers. I like the fact that she makes mistakes, and everything is not all plain sailing for her. It makes her triumphs all that much sweeter.

The novel gets off on a bit of a slow start, but I was so fascinated by the day-to-day workings of the clinic/school and I could see the story building up its textures to something bigger, that this didn’t present a problem to me. I really just enjoyed the ride, which was kind of like Gerald Durrell meets a Star Wars bestiary. The pace picks up near the end to quite a nail-biting finish, and Schoon is clearly setting this up for a series, so be prepared for unfinished story arcs. And I’m hoping that Schoon hurries up and writes the next in the series.

[Stuti Rai · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

One white dove-y carries my pearl,
Two little dove-y's carry my pearls,
Third little dove-y,
Is that gold?
Fuck, just shoot this birdie down!
But stupid, useless stupid gun
You leave the birdie hurt?

A Week in the Daily Life of Zenn Scarlett.

Day 1:
Here's an alien animal. Watch me screw it up. Here's an animal. Watch me watch in wonder. Here's a guy. Watch me ignore him because he could be a possible friend. Obsess over the Rule. Thou shalt not make any friend because thou are extremely stupideth.

So, could Liam Tucker be added to the list of people actually worth talking to? Zenn was skeptical, but told herself
to try to keep an open mind.

Day 2:
Here's an alien animal. Watch me screw it up. Here's an animal. Watch me watch in wonder. Watch me watch the animal attack. Watch me not use the gun in my hands. Watch me use my mojo.

Day 3:
Here's an Earther animal. Watch me not screw it up. Yay! Watch me obsess over the guy and the Rule. Watch me thinking about possible conspiracies and sit tight.

Day 4:
Watch me obsess.

Day 5:
Watch me finally taking some action. Watch me obsess over the Rule. Watch me screw up an alien animal.

Day 6:
Watch me do something. Watch me be stupid/susceptible/ignorant/pliable. Watch me go to sleep when I should be raising hell.

Day 7:
Watch me still not raise a hell. Watch me obsess over the Rule. Watch me saving the day and an alien animal. Woo hoo!

The Week Ends

Zenn Scarlett had potential. Still does. But in book one, at least, it was left dormant due to poor character and lack of any kind of plot, engaging or otherwise.

The blurb says:

Now, with the help of Liam and Hamish, an eight-foot sentient insectoid also training at the clinic, Zenn must learn what's happened to her father, solve the mystery of who, if anyone, is sabotaging the cloister, and determine if she's actually sensing the consciousness of her alien patients... or just losing her mind.

But I think there was some mix-up. this should have been the blurb for the next book.

Which of these mysteries was exactly solved or even explored in this book? Precisely one. And when exactly did she employ Liam's help? Never. And everything else is left to the posterity.

The world of this book is indeed unique, but you know, I think it could have worked very well as a fantasy setting. It is all very well and compact but the endless barrage of weird names seem akin to a high-fantasy novel. And the bit of physics the book employs could have very well been explained away as magic mojo. Plus, the little history provided doesn't fill in all the gaps.

How did the humans first arrive on Mars? Was it because earth was overcrowded? Was it due to lack of resources? And what about the other planets humans are staying on? Doesn't it conflict with the Earther humans' apparent hatred of aliens?

But still, this is the only aspect of the book that somewhat interesting. The rest of it just falls flat and the story/action starts about 70-something% into the book. Before that, it is all raining info dump. Info dump though useless conversations, info dump through accidental yet opportune peeping. It's an info-dump fest all around.

The MC is unrealistic, unrecognizable and not someone you could get a feel of. In order to sympathize with a character, the reader has to be inside the MC's mind, be it in third person or first. Yet, Zenn is kept light years away from us and we are simply the spectators who are kept in redundant ignorance.

The book also tries to take on deeper topic, like from an alien's perspective, you are the alien and the whole shebang of how one shouldn't base their actions on myths and rumors but conclusive proof and how it could be very injurious to the community of living beings. It all pancakes.

Plus, the book being overly descriptive when it comes to animals doesn't do it any favors. I felt like glossing over most of it.

Coupled with its long, sinewy neck, the raff’s body configuration gave it the incongruous look of an Earther camelid of some sort but outfitted with the immense hind legs and tiny
forearms of a tyrannosaurus rex. But besides being clearly mammalian, the...

Here's how I read it:

Blah-blah-blabbity-blah, ooh lean neck(like a giraffe?), blah-blan-blah, dinosaur-like, wonder how big their dumps were? from what appendage did they pee? and how did they engage in coitus? blah-blah. mammal. blah it's over!


Well, at least, it restored my faith in my pseudo-intellectuality. I could see those culprits coming from light years away.

A copy was provided by the publishers for reviewing purposes.

Cross-posted on Books behind Dam{n}s

[Ryan Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok. First and foremost, I want to say Wow. Just Wow. That was unlike anything I have read before- in a good way. An very very good way.

I love the fresh/original storyline. Zenn is a fascinating character with a huge heart for the alien animals her family cares for within the cloister. And I have to say I love all the creatures that were introduced to me in this book. You really have to exercise your imagination to picture the extra-terrestrial patients being described in the text. Every time a new animal came up, I found myself concentrating and creating an image of the animals in my mind. And believe me, I was not disappointed. It seems a lot of thought has been put into both the functions and backgrounds of the fore-mentioned animals. Interesting, very interesting. (: And Zenn is such a cute character- so careful and thinking through everything. She can be too hard on herself sometimes, but she is learning!

Now, I had not heard anything about this being the start of a series, but when I was about 80% through the book, I started panicking thinking this book could not possibly be properly ended in the amount of pages I had left. Now, I have still not heard anything about it being a series, but it cannot possibly end like that. There is no way on Earth (or Mars.. haha.. get it?) that this man could end that amazing book where he ended it and not have a sequel planned. That would be just downright cruel. And what a place to end it. I am equal parts angry and impressed with the ending. Ok, and I am a little bit worried. Not gonna spoil it, but whew. That is a lot of information to take in... And I cannot wait to see what happens to Zenn and her friends next! This book seems to be the start or a wonderful series.

My Favorite characters

Zenn- Loved her. Hardworking girl struggling to balance her academic and personal life training to be an Exo-Vet on Mars. Wouldn't you be a little stressed, too?

Hamish- I love him. He is such an original and endearing character. (:

Katie- oh. my. gosh. I love Katie. I would absolutely love to have one of her. She is just so marvelous! and she has her own precious, endearing personality as well.

Those were by no means all of the main characters, but they are my three favorites! I decided to stick with three, so I would be less inclined to gush and therefore, less inclined to accidentally spoil it. ;)

All in All?
An original read with adventure, mystery, aliens (yay!), amazing creatures, a whole lot of Biological terms (some real, some made up), an interesting new world, friendship, fantasy, and.... do I detect a hint of romance?

[Kat (Lost in Neverland)]

Aliens? Animals? Teenage animal-alien loving veterinarian? UM, YES.




This is my kind of book.

[Lisbeth Avery {Domus Libri} · Rating 2 out of 5]

In early 2011, I read a book called THE GALACTIC GOURMET. THE GALACTIC GOURMET was about a renowned alien chef named Gurronsevas who was tasked with feeding other aliens.

What made this book special was White's imagination when it came to the aliens. Every alien was unique. Most didn’t even have vaguely “Earther” (to steal a word from ZENN) characteristics.

ZENN SCARLETT was severely lacking in exciting and unique aliens. Every alien could both breathe air and drink water. They were all mammals and each one was compared to some Earther life form such as an insect-like or a fox-like alien.

The aliens of ZENN SCARLETT were boring. The Indra - asteroid dwelling "whales" - were as interesting as they got. ZENN SCARLETT could've used some serious imagination when it came to aliens.

While I didn’t expect White-level aliens, I did expect something more than a series of mammalian, air breathing horses.

One of the lowest points to the book was the feeling that you are constantly being preached at. I know other reviewers have covered this but I feel it needs to be gone over again – just for empahasis.

Schoon, I agree with you. Science is good and narrow-mindedness is bad. But that does not mean you can spend the whole book drilling it into our heads like a teacher.

Just because science good does not mean anyone can go up to a religious person and pretty much tell them that for believing what they do, they’re idiots.

I’m not a religious person and, to be honest, I don’t like overly religious people at all. I can’t stand them. But I would never go up to someone and tell them “Hey, for believing in what you do, you are a complete idiot” which is what Zenn did.

Characters
Zenn wasn’t a very amazing character. She wasn’t a lifeless wall but overall, Zenn was pretty plain.

She’s supposedly a-little-too-smart-for-her-own-good (according to the blurb) but I didn’t find anything that would make me think “ah, she’s too smart for her own good”.

Zenn was infuriatingly oblivious and naïve. There is a guy is flirting with her throughout the book. It’s so OBVIOUS. But our little Zenn spent the whole book wondering “Does he like me? Is he flirting – no he couldn’t be because well, I’m just Zenn”.



Guys, the naïve-little-girl trope is annoying. I cannot stand oblivious heroines. It is not that hard to see when is someone blatantly flirting with you especially if they have been flirting with you for WEEKS.

Another part that annoyed me was the angst. Girl, I get it. Your life is hard. But that does not give you the right to sit around moping about how you just want to be a real boy normal girl.

With all that said, Zenn isn’t a bad character. Sure, she gets on my nerves but at least she wasn’t a horrible person or a stick in the mud. She was brave at times and I admire her dedication to the animals.

Liam, the love interest, was bland and by bland, I mean, he was nothing. At all. He was pretty much just a name. He couldn’t be called a main character by any stretch of the imagination.

Thankfully, there were two redeeming characters. Hamish, the insect alien, and Katie, the rikkaset (a fox like alien) were absolutely adorable. Hamish was the sweetest insect ever. I just wanted to hug him! Katie was an adorable deaf rikkaset who spoke in sign language.

They have to be the cutest characters I’ve encountered in a long time.

Plot and Writing
Plot
The book, for the most part, was a monotonous series of alien rescues. The rescues were bland and tedious since they were basically the same steps repeated with different animals. Find sick animal, help sick animal, think you can’t do help it, and then actually save it…

The first two to three times were really interesting and fun but after that, I lost interest. ZENN SCARLETT became a chore to read. It wasn’t bad but I felt less enthusiastic to read it.

The actual plot was a who’s out to get us type book. It was more of a side plot really. Zenn helped numerous aliens but she made these “uncharacteristic” mistakes and OMG someone is trying sabotage her!

This who-did-it plot was extremely predictable. From the beginning, it’s very obvious who “did” it because it’s all but said outright!

Writing
The best part of the writing for ZENN SCARLETT was definitely the world. How cool is a book set on Mars? The world-building for the facility was fantastic and very immersive.

The worst part is the dialogue. To be blunt: it’s terrible. It feels like every time Zenn is talking to someone she is either being interrogated or interrogating the other person.

Through dialogue, most of the info-dumping happens. This is a common practice but it feels even worse in ZENN SCARLETT. I don’t know why or how, but it does.

Likes and Dislikes
Likes
- world building
- setting
- Katie and Hamish
- occasionally Zenn

Dislikes
- Zenn
- Dialogue
- Aliens

Conclusion
ZENN SCARLETT has a lot of problems. While my review doesn’t show it, I did actually like the book for the most part. It’s honestly not a terrible book and I would recommend it.

Find this review and more at my blog:

[PageTurnerswithKatja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got an ARC of Zenn Scarlett in exchange for an honest review. I hadn't read any reviews of the book, but the blurb piqued my interest straight away.

The first chapter pulled me in with the world building, where we're immediately introduced to the hazards of living on Mars and meet a giant alien which provides the means for people to rapidly travel through space.

The book gets top marks for originality - exovet heroine, animals that help space-travel and the Kiran sunkillers who are so large that their backs are used to carry sky-palaces. Crazy critters, and yet so easy to imagine because most of the animals and sentient aliens have a mammalian or insectoid reference point.

If you like your books heavy on romance this one will be a little tame for you. That's not to say there isn't a love interest. Local boy Liam certainly pays Zenn attention, but she's so busy that she doesn't initially realise he may like her. When she does notice him we learn that she has a few emotional blocks that have her more frightened than excited at this prospect. Her obliviousness and her apprehension help lend Zenn's character yet another layer of realistic complexity. She's wonderfully flawed and easy to relate to because of her hang-ups and stubborness. I

Zenn is ambitious and often self-defensive, and it's at those times that she feels like she has a point to prove that things tend to blow up in her face. I think we can all relate to life taking us down a peg or two!

The characters are well written, Zenn, Liam and Hamish were my favourites and the towns folk can almost be collectively thought of as another character. They play a perfect stereotype of suspicious closed minded folk who need something or someone to blame in a time of austerity.

The plot is well structured, and while I wasn't surprised as to who was sabotaging the work of the Ciscan Cloister Exovet Clinic, I did enjoy the flow of the story. The end of the book creates yet another hook, as the story's development finally works its way towards why Zenn's father has stopped communicating with her, and hints at an explanation about why she's developed the uncanny new ability to 'link' with her animal patients.

The only reason I've not given this a full five stars is my personal preference for my sci-fi lit to have fast pace. The blurb hints that she is actively trying to find out why her Dad is ignoring her, but this gets far less attention than implied - until the very end. Although the pacing was slower than I would have liked I still thought this was a great read, and I'm looking forward to the sequel and discovering more about Zenn's world and her gift.

All in all: Imaginative, well structured and containing enough hooks to reel me into the instalment. I got in touch with Strange Chemistry after reading it, to get on board with their blog tour. It's the first time I've felt motivated to be a part of a blog tour, so that's another indication of how much I enjoyed this book. Four out of five stars.

[Ingrid Jonach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands up who wanted to be a vet when you were a kid? ME! And after reading ZENN SCARLETT I reckon I could treat an animal or two, as long as they were an alien animal!

Yes, I know the book is not scheduled for release for a few months, but I am in a position of privilege as I share the same publisher (disclaimer!).

I must say I was riveted as I followed the adventures of Zenn as she trained to become an exovet - a vet on Mars. YES - on MARS!

On his website, the author Christian Schoon describes himself as a 'critter-wrangler', but he has not just written this book for the friends of the furry, scaly and slimy (which I am - well, maybe not scaly). ZENN SCARLETT has everything you would want from a young adult novel: from action to romance to mystery. It hooked me from the first heartbreaking chapter.

Of course, now I really want a rikkaset, but I will let you read the book to find out more about that amazingly awesome critter.

A well-deserved five-stars!

[Rashika (is tired) · Rating 4 out of 5]

after reading
TELL ME THERE IS GOING TO BE A DAMN SEQUEL
TELL ME!

Review
The reason I decided to request Zenn Scarlett was (not because of the pretty cover) because it reminded me of another book I had read ages ago. I read this book back when I was in middle school and I absolutely adored it, the problem was I forgot what it was called and so for the past 5 years I’ve been trying to find it without any luck. Sometimes I wonder if I can call the school up and ask them to print out a list of all the books I ever checked out and send it to me, although that would be super awkward.

This is probably the second book I’ve read dealing with Earthern colonies on other planets (if I’ve read others, I cannot recall them so I apologize to you dear books for forgetting you).

I am very happy to say this book didn’t disappoint, of course I won’t say it was better than the book who’s title I forgot because that book is connected to my childhood and is hence more precious (insert psychological explanation here).

Zenn was a great main character, she lost her mom when she was fairly young and her father left her on her own. Due to this she created rules so as to keep herself from getting hurt again. But the thing is she knows that the rules will probably have a negative effect on her as well, she understands that. She also realizes (later on) that her rules are a defense mechanism, she lets in a hand full of people but other than that she doesn’t want to have to deal with anyone else but slowly she opens up to Liam. Zenn also has a great voice, it makes it very easy to relate to her. I’ve never wanted to be a vet in my life, doctors scare me in general yet I found myself wanting to be one while reading this book. Her passion for animals is admirable.

Liam is a rather interesting character, he has some of his own secrets but to see how his views about aliens change is rather exciting. He was never rude to the animals but his opinions about them weren’t so great because his father was killed by one.

Hamish is awesome. The best alien friend ever. Hamish is their sexton but the planet where he comes from has a hierarchy, because of this he asks permission for everything. Despite this he is a great listener and very understanding. He tends to be curious about humans and their behavior. Zenn is always telling him to not ask permission for every single thing and to think for himself. I LOVED seeing how his character developed throughout the book.

The plot to the book is well paced, at first it starts of slow as the author gives us insight into this world he has created. The world building is great and I actually have a very good idea about how everything would be like. One of my favorite things about it is that humans didn’t create colonies on other planets because the Earth was dying but out of curiosity (I am not sure about that but that’s what I believe). I hate it when people leave Earth because is messed up, why cannot we create colonies because we can? Why wait till the last moment? That sounds extremely bratty but that’s not my intention, what I mean is humans are obsessed with science, if other planets can support human life why would we not test that theory? It doesn’t make sense.

Anyways going on. As we go further into the book, the author starts feeding us more and more tid bits until finally we can see the plot unraveling. It’s almost like the climb to the top of a roller coaster, right before you go down.

This book ended on a cliff hanger and I am not sure if there is a sequel but there better be because otherwise, there are going to be plenty of angry fans.

This review has also been posted on my blog

[PhoenixFantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting with the obvious, the cover art for Zenn Scarlett is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. I’m not big on SF in general, but I absolutely HAD to have this one because it’s ridiculously pretty. Yes, I will buy a copy for my shelf when it’s released on that fact alone. I’m a terrible human being, I know. And I’ve no doubt plenty of other readers will find it irresistibly shiny also. The magpies among us will be appeased. I’ve done some rummaging about to see who’s responsible for such gorgeousness, and it appears to be a company called “Argh! Oxford”. I’m just ten minutes or so from Oxford, so I will be re-mortgaging my house whenever my own novel is finished in an attempt to get these guys to work with me. I will sell my car, my PC, goddammit even a kidney. Whatever it takes. But I digress.

Zenn Scarlett is like nothing else I’ve ever read. And in today’s market, that’s one hell of an achievement. Hats off, seriously. I thought that Schoon’s world-building and characterisation were excellent. I loved all the different creatures, and the respective roles that they fill. It’s absolute genius, and I’m not going to give any examples because I don’t want to spoil any of it for you, you’re just going to have to trust me. One thing I will say though, is I want a rikkaset. I really, really do.

Schoon serves up a unique concept, amazing world-building and enjoyable characters. Zenn is good fun to read, she’s far from perfect, but she’s determined and stubborn, and her heart is in the right place, I’m all for that. The only thing that lets the novel down, for me, is the plot. I found it to be a little weak in places, and it pains me to say it because so much about the book is amazing, but elements of the plot towards the end of the novel felt rushed to me, and the ending itself was a bit of a let-down. It’s a shame, it really is. I wanted to love this unconditionally. It suffers a little from repetition as well, with Schoon labouring several points more than necessary, in my humble opinion of course. Again I don’t want to go anywhere near spoilers, but you’ll spot what I mean as soon as you dig in. Does it matter? Not really, slightly iffy plot, sub-optimal ending and irritating repetition pale into insignificance against the beauty of the backdrop and the imagination behind all those animals. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention it. It only loses one star for me, because the brilliance of the Good balances outweighs the niggles of the Bad.

Zenn Scarlett is a unique and breathtaking journey, and one that I would definitely recommend.

http://phoenixfantasyreviews.com/2013...

[Dragana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not a secret that I was looking forward to reading Zenn Scarlett. Colonization of other planets (especially Mars) is one of my favorite topics in science fiction novels. Add to that the fact that Christian Schoon kept teasing us in his comments and tweets by throwing out names of unusual animals featured in a book and you got one very excited bookworm (aka. me).

The amount of exotic animals did not disappoint me. There were rikkasets, crypto-plasmodial seepdemons, Greater Kiran sunkillers, yotes and many more. In fact, there were so many animals that sometimes I felt overwhelmed. New species kept appearing and I just could not picture how do they look like. And Christian Schoon does not rush his narration. Everything is slow, from worldbuilding to descriptions.

Through Zenn Scarlett's impatience there are some big lessons to be learned. When to be sure of yourself and when you need to take a break. And great view about aliens species and people's antipathy towards them. On a planet that is not your home world, who is really an alien?



A lot of things can be said about Zenn Scarlett. It's slow at the beginning and Zenn, main character, can be irritating with her mistakes and overconfidence. Still it's very original and if you're patient it pays of in the end because Zenn Scarlett is an intriguing start to a new series. I will be looking forward to the sequel Under Nameless Stars.

In The End...
If you like young adult science fiction novels with original plots, unusual animals and are patient reader who do not mind if story takes time to develop, then Zenn Scarlett is the book for you.

My rating: 3.5 stars

Disclaimer: I was given a free eBook by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. This text is also posted on my blog Bookworm Dreams in a little bit more styled edition.

[Kimberly Francisco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book pretty damn hard. It's so unique and imaginative and interesting. It's full of aliens and alien animals and relationships between the two that are just plain fascinating to read about. The main plotline is wrapped up within this volume, but the last chapter sets up the sequel (which is going to be a much bigger story that I am very excited about). Parts of this main plot were predictable, but that didn't bother me.

There are definitely some unpolished bits with the writing (overuse of the non-word "alright" for starters), but wow, I haven't read something this creative in YA SF in a long time. I would like the sequel now please.

Full review: http://www.stackedbooks.org/2013/04/z...

[usagi ☆ミ · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, "Zenn Scarlett". I'm still not entirely how to shelve this book in terms of genre - is it YA, or MG? Or is it riding the fine line between them? While this was a really solid debut for Schoon, I think it needed at least one or two more edits before getting to the ARC stage of things because a lot of things needed clarification. While I'm happy this book is yet another we can add to the space western canon within MG/YA, at the same time, I just wish it'd been clearer. Nevertheless, I did have fun with "Zenn Scarlett", and I think other readers will too.

What was good: the worldbuilding, for the most part. We get this really interesting version of Mars - it's not completely safe for human living. In fact, we live in bubbles on this version of Mars, and without them, well, we'll die. I liked that sense of desperation there, and the fact that Earth isn't really talking to Mars in a very American Civil War-esque kind of way makes for a very interesting dynamic between the haves and the havenots, the settlers and the prospectors. And in the middle, we have the Ciscans (presumably descended from the Franciscan order, though this is not really delved into too much) - an order that used to be religious, but now focuses on exoanimal medicine. We get a lot of backstory as to how the "Rift" between Earth and Mars started, and how everything got to this point in Zenn's world, but we're not given solid dates as to orient ourselves in terms of how far in the future we are from right now. Which was a bit frustrating because I like to know where we are in time. All we're told is that it's at least a few hundred years from now, and there's a Star Trek-like Union of planets that Earth and Mars are apart of. When Schoon chose to use sensory imagery and language, he really knows how to do it. But unfortunately, there is a lot of telling over showing (especially in terms of the backstory), and that made things a little difficult to keep up with. I can see how it would work for MG (especially young MG), but not YA.

What really needed work: the character building. While the simple parts of Zenn and her main cast (Hamish was my favorite) were pretty sturdy, I wanted a little more complication in terms of how their characters function. We're given a lot of details (like how age is calculated and used due to Mars' orbit time, etc), but some of the more important and finer aspects as to what drives these characters is more or less glossed over. Example: we know why Hamish is there - because his Queen Mother-Spawn sent him, and that's what's expected of him. I wanted more complication - though Hamish is an insectoid creature, it felt kind of speciesist to keep him so simple and almost robotic in some of his actions. As for Zenn, we know why she wants to be an exovet (the incident with her mother at the beginning was a great way to create tension there), but at the same time, for most of the book, all it's about is not the tension with bandits going around as if in a western novel, or about how resources are starting to run out (kind of important) for the humans on the planet - but just focused on passing her exam. And for me, frankly, that just wasn't enough. I wanted more.

Zenn is 16 - we're told this through the narration, which couldn't seem to settle between 3rd close and 3rd omniscient. However, her actions, her voice seemed to speak more toward 13 or 14, regardless of how age is calculated between Earth and Mars' orbital standards. In so many ways, it felt like Schoon was writing down to the audience, and that was really frustrating, too. Very obvious things that apparently had to be explained to Hamish (give the dude a break, he's an insect and obviously got into the Ciscan order - he's got enough smarts) like "intolerance is bad and diversity is good" and so forth. While I can see the cultural divide into how a lot of the things Zenn and Hamish talked about had to be explained to the poor bugdude, a lot of it could have been cut.

Thus, my confusion - is this YA? Or MG? By the narrative tone, I'd say it's late MG or early YA. But Zenn is 16 - and she should sound (and act) much older.

What I really liked in terms of character building: Zenn's strange superpower with the exoanimals around her. I thought that was great, and I wanted a lot more of that than I actually got. But since we're set up for book two, I may just read it if for more explanation into what's going on with her abilities and how it may change the world around her for good. Also, some more diversity on her animals would be awesome (though I want her cat-like creature, Katie. Can I has? Please?) - not just mammals next time around.

Otherwise? I just think this one needed a bit more cleaning up (and hopefully will get it) by the time it gets pubbed. It was a lot of fun, and I love that space westerns are combining with space opera to make a really fun bastard genre that's finally really making its way into the YA/MG canons in a solid way. "Zenn Scarlett" is out May 7, 2013 from Strange Chemistry in North America, so definitely be sure to check it out. We'll have a guest post from the author on the blog for the tour on May 10, 2013, so be sure to check out what Schoon has to say about his process then!

(posted to goodreads, shelfari, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)

[Kara Babcock · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am officially whelmed by this book. Exoveterinary studies sounds like a cool field, and all the strange animal descriptions reminded me of Animorphs, which I guess is always a good thing. Zenn Scarlett is a very whelming book, however: it is competent in every technical respect, but it does not inspire me or grab me. Christian Schoon’s imagination is rich, but his rendering of it on the page leaves something to be desired.

Our eponymous heroine is taking the tests needed to become an exovet novice. For some reason, exoveterinarianism is a monastic kind of thing. She lives on Mars, at the cloister run by her uncle, and is pretty good with the animals. Too good, in fact—she has some kind of psychic rapport with them, except that should be impossible, because psychic stuff is fake. Oh, and mysterious sabotage keeps occurring, and Zenn keeps getting the blame. So we have all the ingredients for a good mystery, for something that would keep me engaged. I was ready for Zenn to get mixed up in some high-stakes, pulse-pounding action.

What we get instead is … hmm. I’m not sure if it’s just that this book aims at a younger target audience than I was expecting, or if it just doesn’t pitch its tone quite right, but Zenn Scarlett reads like an after-school TV show. The villains are all a little over the top. The conflicts are all very mundane. Most of this story is just small town shenanigans transplanted to Mars. Replace “aliens” with “outsiders” and the townies become your standard closed-minded rural folk who don’t want to see the city slickers around. The plot progression is eminently predictable—like, I had most of the plot figured out after the first few chapters, and even with the few twists that Schoon threw in here or there, none of it was very surprising. Zenn is the Encyclopedia Brown of exovet stories.

Unfortunately, the novelty that might be acquired from having a setting on Mars is belied by the utter waste of such an amazing planet. For the longest time, I was trying to figure out how everyone was living there—were they in domes, had the planet been terraformed? I was worried Schoon had just overlooked that one small niggling detail. To his credit, he eventually tosses in an explanation that some kind of force-field is keeping the atmosphere “pressurized” up to a certain altitude. (No mention of where the nitrogen/oxygen ratio required for human life is coming from.) Still, Mars is a special place. I kind of feel like you don’t use it in your science fiction unless you’re willing to deal with it in the right way, willing to accord it that gravitas it demands as our closest planet and most likely candidate for colonization. The way Schoon describes living on Mars, however, it might as well be any extraterrestrial planet. This is a waste of the Red Planet!

If these aspects of the story underwhelm, there are some redeeming moments that bump the book back up into whelming territory. There is some cool technology at work here to work with these large animals. The “in soma” pods and the regeneration tool (I can’t be bothered to find its name) are neat ideas. Similarly, Zenn herself is not a terrible protagonist, though I do find her a rather flat character. The cliffhanger at the end of the novel (yes, this is merely a set up for a larger story, surprise surprise) is genuinely interesting—though, again, I think I’ve kind of got it mostly figured out already.

If you are trapped in an airport, or at an insufferable relative’s house, or you’re waiting for the rain to stop before you dig up that body, this is a perfectly pleasant book to pick up and pass the time. The story is OK, the characters are OK, and the writing is … yeah, OK. And that is OK, I guess. But that’s about all I can say.

[Kristina Vallaste · Rating 5 out of 5]

08.06.2013
I received a note yesterday saying I have a package waiting for me in the post office, so today I went to get it. I love the cover and it's even prettier when I hold it in my hands! Can't wait to start reading it!


EDIT:
Zenn Scarlett is a book I won from a blog giveaway hosted by Escapism from Reality, and I really want to thank them for it! I absolutely love the cover (and I'm curious, what is that in the bottom left corner exactly?), plus the summary sounded promising, too. Still, I was not so sure what I'd think of it once I have it finished. After reading both positive and negative reviews, I had my doubts.

I shouldn't have worried. Not even once did this book leave me bored and waiting for a more action-packed scene. True, most of it was about Zenn's life and duties at the cloister, but I didn't mind. I loved reading about this scientific world full of aliens and their amazing, scary, cute and even scarier animals. I kind of liked how these Martian colonies were described as poor and old-ish, not how we like to imagine the future of space travelling - high tech and all oh-so-happy. I only wish we could've got some more descriptions of the animals' appearances. Most of the time I wasn't at all sure what they should look like.

Of course, the fact how narrow-minded most people were in this sci-fi world annoyed me quite a bit, but it somehow made the book more realistic. So to be clear, it were the people that annoyed me, not the story. But Zenn and her Rule - now that was something I at first disliked about the book as whole. I just couldn't comprehend how someone can be so blind and think that all the joy of having friends means nothing because of the inevitable pain they are sure to bring. How could a young person like her set herself such strict restrictions? ... And then I suddenly realized something. I came to think that honestly, I'm not much different myself. Always being sensitive and sad because feeling left out, unnoticed and invisible, 'friends' turning away as soon as they find someone more interesting to talk to (this does not concern everyone)... In the end, not so long ago, I discovered a way to deal with it that did not cause me to feel pain. That being: not getting attached. Respecting people, but not letting them too close. Because when they unintentionally (or intentionally) betray my expectations, I don't have to feel hurt or in any way affected, I don't have to hate them for it or create a huge distance between us. And in all honesty, I'm very content with things being as they are. This way I realized that what Zenn did was not at all absurd (although the book didn't leave it seem as if she had everything thought through). But Zenn wasn't actually scared of talking to people, so that makes us different.

I realized quickly who was behind everything that had happened; it was quite obvious. Perhaps it wasn't even meant to be such a big secret. And although it might seem like Zenn was stupid for not figuring it out sooner, I say Zenn wasn't. I just love how well Schoon described people's relationships and understandings. I realized exactly why things turned clear when they did.

It's rare to find books of such genre by a male author, and from my experience, they tend to be so much better than YA books by female authors. There were hints of romance, but no insta-love, dreamy teen blabber and other sappy love stuff. It made the story so much more realistic. So thank you Schoon, for I got to read something different for a change! After the way it started, I don't mind at all if the love part is bigger or smaller as the story continues.

I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes YA and/or sci-fi books, and to everyone who find it to be even the littlest bit compelling. I loved this book and am eagerly looking forward to the sequel!

[Katja · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Zenn Scarlett” ist der Debütroman des amerikanischen Autors und Sciene-Fiction-Fans Christian Schoon, der im Mai 2013 bei Strange Chemistry veröffentlicht wird.

Mit Zenn, aus deren Perspektive der Roman erzählt wird, setzt Christian Schoon dem Leser eine Protagonistin vor, die einem vom ersten Moment an sympathisch ist. Sie ist clever, ein bisschen vorlaut, und mit dem Talent gesegnet sich ungewollt in gewisse Situationen hineinzukatapultieren. Und sie liebt außerirdische Kreaturen. Diese Liebe, die ihr buchstäblich in die Wiege gelegt wurde, führte auch dazu, dass Zenn trotz ihres Alters als Novizin für die Ausbildung zum Exovet zugelassen wurde.

Unter der Aufsicht ihres Onkel Otha lernt Zenn alles, was sie als Tierarzt für Aliens wissen muss und kommt mit den wundersamsten Kreaturen in Kontakt. Die riesigen Indras mit ihren rot und gold schimmernden Schuppen, die die Sternenschiffe transportieren. Whalehounds, groß wie Heuwagen. Rikkasets, kleine, katzenähnliche Wesen die sich durch Lichtbrechung unsichtbar machen können. Und der Sunkiller, eine zweiköpfige Kreatur mit riesigen Schwingen, auf deren Rücken ganze Städte erbaut werden.

Doch neben all der Faszination, die diese Wesen ausüben, so weiß Zenn auch von den Gefahren, die in der Arbeit als Exovet lauern. Denn ihre Mutter verschwand während der Behandlung eines kranken Indras spurlos, und ihr Vater verließ das Kloster kurz darauf.

Dies minderte aber Zenn’s Begeisterung für die außerirdischen Kreaturen keineswegs. Eine Begeisterung, eine Liebe und Faszination, die sich tief in Zenn’s Seele gegraben hat.

Allerdings stehen die Bewohner des Klosters mit ihrer Akzeptanz den Aliens gegenüber auf einem fast schon verlorenen Posten. Denn die meisten Bewohner der kleinen Stadt nahe der Klinik sehen die seltsamen Tiere als Bedrohung an und wollen sie soll schnell als möglich eliminieren. Zenn selbst ist vor Vorurteilen nicht gefeit und steht den Townern mit gehöriger Skepsis gegenüber, besonders dem Achtzehnjährigen Liam Tucker, der den Bewohnern des Klosters zur Hand geht.

“Zenn Scarlett” ist alles in allem ein sehr ruhiger Roman, trotz einer gewissen Anzahl an temporeichen Szenen. Dies schadet dem Buch aber nicht im Geringsten, im Gegenteil. Genau diese Mischung macht den Zauber von Christian Schoon’s Debüt aus. So bekommt der Leser hier eine Geschichte voller Liebe zum Detail geboten, mit einer so fantastischen Welt, dass man nach Beenden des Buches wohl gerade einmal einen Bruchteil davon kennengelernt hat.

Der Roman erzählt von Vorurteilen und Verschwörungen, von ersehnter Rache und verzweifelten Rettungsversuchen, und davon, dass man kämpfen muss um seine Ziele zu erreichen, gewürzt mit einer gewissen Dramatik. Zenn ist eine wundervolle Protagonistin, mit der man sich nicht nur identifizieren kann, sondern die sofort ans Herz wächst. Und auch Liam schleicht sich ins Herz des Lesers, auch wenn man, genau wie Zenn, dem Stadtjungen noch nicht ganz vertrauen und glauben mag.

Christian Schoon schreibt wunderbar einfach, jedoch gelingt es ihm, im Kopf des Lesers ein Bild entstehen zu lassen von einer Welt, die uns so fremd und doch so vertraut ist, voller Wunder, voller Gefahren, voller Abenteuer. Die Geschichte fließt dahin, und verdichtet sich mit der Zeit immer mehr zu einem Strom, dessen Sog man sich nur schwer entziehen kann.

“Zenn Scarlett” ist für mich eines der Highlights des Jahres 2013. Ein Young Adult Roman, der ohne eine alles andere überschattende Liebesgeschichte auskommt. Ein Roman, dem es gelingt den Leser auf andere Weise zu fesseln und zu begeistern, mit einer Geschichte voller Fantasie, Drama, Freundschaft und dem Hauch vom großen Abenteuer. Ein Roman, den es sich zu lesen lohnt.

[Astarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, may I just say I LOVED this book. It was amazing. And as Christian Schoon's debut work, it's certainly nothing to sneeze at.

Zenn Scarlett, a seventeen-year-old girl, lives on Mars in a religious cloister. Currently training to become an exoveterinarian (pretty much a vet for aliens - typically very large or very dangerous aliens) she has three tests to pass before she can go onto the next part of her training. With the cloister facing possible shutdown, due to the townspeople's attitudes towards aliens, and suspected sabotage, will she be able to pass her tests to get one step closer to her dreams? And will the mind-melds she keeps having with the animals help or hinder her?

So, off to my review now. I've already said I loved it, but I'll say it again. I Loved It. This books was just the right amount of weird, with excellent descriptions of the all the aliens, so you can actually picture them perfectly. Upside of this, it makes for some amazing mental pictures whilst you're reading. Downside, I really, really want a rikkaset (a animal about the size of a cat, with violet tiger stripes and a cream body, a ringed tail, lynx ears, and big golden eyes. Rikkasets can also turn invisible and are as smart as chimps. Zenn's one, Katie, is learning sign language) odds are though, I won't get one :(
Zenn herself is a pretty great main character too. From the very beginning she is exceptional from those around her. She's possibly one of the youngest trainee exoveterinarians ever, she's training in a time when it's not popular to be an exo, as there is so much bad feeling towards aliens on Mars, she's dealing with the stresses of study for her exams (a huge workload, as you can imagine) along with her wierd mind-thing and sabotage of the cloister. And yet, she doesn't break down at any time, she just does what needs doing. Some might say that Schoon hasn't made her 'realistic' but I loved her. And her confusion was pretty clearly shown when she started thinking about Liam, a cute boy from town who seems to be pretty helpful whenever Zenn is concerned.

Now that you're all desperate to read it, it will be released on May 7th by Strange Chemistry, so you should definately all go buy it, or harass your local librarian until you get it. It really is worth it.

With the cliff-hanging ending I'm hankering for the next one in the series, which unfortunately does not as yet have a release date.

This book gets a 5.9 stars out of 5

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be contacted to be a part of the blog tour for Zenn Scarlett. As soon as I read the summary, I knew I had to get my hands on this book! I've been looking for a fun, original sci-fi story, and Zenn Scarlett is just what I wanted.

Zenn Scarlett is a teenager living on Mars in one of the many colonies founded by early Earth settlers. She lives with her uncle, the head of the local exoveterinarian cloister, studying to be an exoveterinarian. But with a dwindling crop yield and the mysterious disappearance of intersteller transport ships, the cloister is looking at rough times. And that's when the accidents start to happen.

I loved the world-building in this book! Christian did an amazing job crafting a complete world, with far reaching implications. I feel like with all the details the reader gets just in book 1, the next installment will have even more. There are a lot of interesting things going on with the potential to continue past Zenn's story. This is the kind of sci-fi I love, one that's rich with backstory and fully fleshed out for the future. And while Mars doen't seem like an original setting, I think it's nice going back to the first planet men use to dream about visiting.

I like that much of this book is looking at Zenn's life in the cloister, but there are surprises and problems that crop up to disturb the normalcy of her life. The fact that she's studying to be an exoveterinarian is really cool, with interesting, huge beasts being treated. In some ways the book reads much like a contemporary but just set on a whole different planet. It also has a very Western feel to it, with Mars being a frontier of sorts. But then again it is very technologically advanced. If any of you have watched the show Firefly, it feels like that when I'm reading.

I can't wait to see what the next installment of Zenn's story will bring. She's learned some truths about her mother and herself, with more to come in the future. Along with some important friends, Zenn will have to jump into the unknown, and I'm excited to be a part of the ride! Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon is a wonderful debut by a wonderful author! But don't take my word for it; check it out for yourself at your local bookstore or library!

[Ivana · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a vet. (I gave up on that idea the moment I saw our local vet spaying a dog. I don't have the guts for that.) Add to it my love for sci-fi, and there was no way this book could go wrong for me. I knew I'd love this book the moment I saw the cover and read the blurb. I didn't love it. I adore it.

As far as Zenn goes-you may be cool, but you'll never be I-cure-alien-animal-forms cool. I felt that Christian Schoon captured the voice of a teenage girl better than many female authors did. Zenn is dedicated to her studies and is passionate about helping animals, but she is just as passionate about shattering prejudice and narrow-mindedness of fellow human inhabitants on Mars whose ignorance often leads to hatred of everything "alien".

Zenn is a character that grows and learns in the course of the novel. It's a minor spoiler to say that Zenn has a special connection to animals, as a result of an incident that happens on the first few pages. Even though it is not fully explained, we have enough info to make some conclusions. It was therefore all the more interesting watching Zenn defend her scientific beliefs that I believe will be challenged in the sequel.

The scientific aspect captured me as well. I think I recall a documentary where someone mentioned an experimental theory similar to the one that Christian Schoon describes, about the theory of how Indra are used for interstellar transportation. Sometimes it sounds scientific, sometimes metaphysical, to some people it's a matter of religion. A clash of faith vs science, something that I assume will keep Zenn occupied in the sequel as well.

The only reason why this isn't a shining five star review is that I found the plot twist slightly predictable. I could smell the rat quite quickly.

Of all the creatures that Schoon brings to life, my favorite were Katie, Zenn's adorable and intelligent marsupial pet, and Hamish, a bug-like sexton who finds humans just as puzzling as they find him.

Treat yourself to Zenn Scarlett. It's a delight for fans of YA, sci-fi and animal lovers.

[Isabella · Rating 2 out of 5]

3.5

Zenn Scarlett had me at the cover. I know, I know. Such a shallow thing, but true. The cover is oustanding and I just needed to read this story, a SF different from the few I already read and, in a way, deeply refreshing.

Reading this book I actually felt how strange it was. The world building was simply amazing, different, and I could not keep myself from loving creatures like rikkasets or stonehorses. Schoon's imagination conquered me and Zenn Scarlett is sure to be one of the most original books out there right now. The heroine wants to become a exoveterinarian, there are entire worlds - mainly Mars in this first book - waiting to be discovered and all the aliens described by the author were, well, just awesome. I loved everyone of them, alongside with the main characters, and I enjoyed the book and its plot till the ending.

"Human beings get this idea in their heads that they're the special ones - the only ones who get to say who's normal and who's... Just a thing. Think about if the shoe was on the other foot. And someone decides you're the thing."

About the ending, I think something was "off". I loved the whole story but the last chapters were hurried and there were things that I hope will get better in the future. I didn't feel emotionally involved, not as much as I could have been, and that really was a shame seeing how I liked the whole plot and the story itself. That may be because the story felt addressed more to a younger audience, but I really hope that with the sequel we will get to learn and love more about Christian Schoon's world and characters.

[Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Via Book Reviews by Niki Hawkes at www.nikihawkes.com

Because I thoroughly enjoy reading about animals, space, and people learning about things that don’t exist in our reality, I actually enjoyed several elements of this novel. The creatures Zenn took care of were creative and interesting, and I liked how each one had unique biological makeups and temperaments. The medical references on how to treat each animal were also fascinating – I was convinced that either the author knew a bit about veterinary care, or did his research. Overall, I really feel like I got to walk in the shoes of and “exovet,” a career I certainly will never have the chance to experience.

While enjoyable, I think there were some key elements missing from this story – elements that would have taken an enjoyable read into an epic one: conflict and world-building.

I talk about conflict a lot because without it, you really don’t have much of a story. Conflicts are what promotes growth and change in characters and gives readers reasons to stay put and find out how they cope. External conflicts are great for moving your story along and placing outside influence on your characters, but it is the internal conflicts that make characters more relatable and draw the audience in emotionally. There were a ton of external conflicts here (which were fun in their own right) but there wasn’t any internal exploration to give it all meaning and purpose. It’s probably why I’m left feeling like the story didn’t go anywhere – the character grew very little throughout the story and was basically in the same state at the end as she was at the beginning. That’s not to say the internal conflicts weren’t there – I could see what they were supposed to be – they just weren’t explored or expanded on in any way that drew me in as a reader.

As far as world-building is concerned, I’ll start out by saying I enjoyed many elements in this category (most notably, the overall concept for the story) but there were a few things that needed some work. For example, the economic and political workings of this Mars settlement were a bit thin. Even taking into account that it’s a relatively new establishment compared to that of Earth’s, the conflicts presented in this book should have been a lot more complex and thorough. However, because that wasn’t the real focus of story, I turned a bit of a blind eye to it while reading. Upon reflection, however, I think more time spent developing and enriching the new culture would have enhanced the quality of the story significantly.

Overall, there were several great ideas and concepts here, but also quite a few things holding it back. Maybe it was the cover, but I expected quite a bit more adventure from this novel. The universe is endless with possibilities but the plot here was was rather narrow-focused. I also saw several minor story holes and weak plot points that could have been fixed with basic writing tricks (which included fixing really odd chapter breaks with stronger transitionary sentences and “hooks”). In any case, I enjoyed it but I wish the author had developed it a little further before publishing because I think a few changes could have made it epic.

Recommendations: You don’t see a lot of teen science fiction books, so if you’re in the mood for something “out there” this might suit your craving. It was also neat to experience a day in the life of an exovet – a career that I would consider in an alternate universe, and by far my favorite element of the story. However, if you’re looking for something a little more robust and engaging, this might not be the novel for you.

[Tsana Dolichva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zenn Scarlett is the début novel by Christian Schoon. The titular character is a seventeen year old girl living on Mars who is studying to become an exoveterinarian — a vet for alien animals (although they do treat Earthly animals too).

Zenn lives in a sort of veterinary abbey with her uncle, a nun and a small number of other workers. I wasn't entirely clear why there was a religious order dedicated to caring for alien life forms, but I hope we'll learn more about that in the sequel. Most of the other characters, namely the townspeople, where the abbey was set apart from the town, were very irritating. In a good way, from a writing point of view, but in a very "need a good slap in the face for being a bunch of red neck xenophobic hicks" way. A lot of the tension in the novel arose from the townies being afraid of aliens and barely tolerating the abbey's continuing presence, even when the vets were actively helping them with their own pets and livestock.

In some ways, I felt the story didn't tackle the issues of xenophobia and tolerance deeply enough. For a start, it wasn't until a good way into the story that we learnt why there were so many hicks on Mars — it was used as a transportation colony — a point which rather baffled me up until then. To some extent, it boiled down a bit too much to "good guys nice to animals" vs "bad guys hate the good guys" although it did get more complex towards the end.

A lot of things about Zenn Scarlett improved towards the end. I felt the writing grew more readable as we went along, particularly since there were so many flashbacks near the start. I was also gratified that there wasn't a very long gap between my guessing a plot point and it being revealed in the text. The last quarter or so was full of excitement, albeit the very end, after the main climax, culminated in a very frustrating cliff hanger, however. Frustrating because I could see it coming when there weren't nearly enough pages to resolve new events. I want to read the sequel cliff hanger or not, but there's something slightly soul-crushing about the looming inevitability of not having a proper resolution at the end. (I think I prefer the kind of cliff hangers that sneak up on you... or softer ones with less in the balance.)

I feel like I need to comment on the science in Zenn Scarlett, since that's my thing. I can't say much about the biology because that's not my area, but as the blurb suggests, almost all the animals involved were quite giant. If they were on Earth I'd be questioning the biophysical plausibility, but with Mars's lower gravity, there's more chance of them being OK. There was one slightly creative physics moment that had be heckling the page, but in the scheme of things, it could have been much worse (it could also have been better justified...).

All in all, Zenn Scarlett was a fun read. I recommend it to fans of YA science fiction. I want to say it's good for fans of something a little different, but I have to admit there were aspects which reminded me a little of Avatar (the James Cameron movie), more thematically than literally. I'm not sure I've read any YA on a similar theme, however. Anyway, fans of aliens and alien creatures in their SF will also enjoy this book, I think. I look forward to reading the sequel.

4 / 5 stars

You can read more of my reviews on my blog.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5*

*A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review*
*A big thanks to Strange Chemistry for providing me with this book*

This was definitely a case of 'it's not you, it's me' with this book. The writing was flawless, the world building was excellent, the characters were easy to sympathise with, but my main issue was the realisation that I really don't like alien based fiction. At all. I hadn't read anything which featured 'proper' aliens before i.e not robots or different people, but bugs and the sorts. Although Hammish made me chuckle on many occasions, I really don't think this section of science-fiction is for me. And I am really, really sad that I couldn't enjoy this more.

DESPITE THIS, it was still a really good read. The actual rating is 3.5/5* and I still recommend this book to lovers of fiction which predominantly focuses on an alien population. I had to keep reminding myself that this book was an author's debut! It is really well written, eloquent, the world building is phenomenal. The characters are realistic and the events which unfold within the book really get your heart going. Mr Schoon certainly knows his stuff. I think a part of where I had issues is that I have never had a strong science head, it's always been for the arts so I occasionally felt a little lost. I couldn't tell you whether some of the scientific references were fiction or fact. Again, this is all against me and not the book.

I really enjoyed reading about Zenn Scarlett, our protagonist. She is a determined, seventeen year old girl who is fully focused on continuing down the same career path as her deceased mother. We meet her as she is in training in order to pass up to the next level, from novice, and to become one step closer to her career as an exoveterinarian. Things don't run smoothly as many mishaps occur throughout her testing, costing her vital points. Alongside this, she is also coming to grips with this new sensation that rushes through her when various animals are going through certain sensations. This entire situation is made all the more complicated as the Cloister is under threat from the local council. The aliens aboard do not sit comfortably with the humans and some are determined to rid the landscape of them - no matter what the cost.

This book has a small love interest developing through the character of Liam. Things most certainly aren't simple here either. The book has plenty of villains characters that I can guarantee you will love to hate. There are plenty of twists and turns and is overall a fascinating read. I wish I could have given it a higher rating, but it just isn't the right genre for me. As I said above, if you're a science-fiction/ alien lover, this book is most certainly for you. If you're fed up of the love theme dominating your books, this is also the book for you :). Interesting, original and like nothing I've read before, I am - despite the rating - looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[CaroleHeidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Zenn Scarlett for a number of reasons:

The characters were brilliant. Being set on Mars there was a mixture of human and alien characters and all were described and portrayed with skill and finesse. I knew what they all looked like, even the more unusual ones, thanks to Schoon’s descriptions which built up as you went along. There were no real info-dumps of ‘this type of alien looks like this and acts like this’, just drip-feedings of history and phsysical descriptions through the action that let you build your own picture of them in your mind.

They all had strong personalities and developed through the book. I particularly liked Liam, his character development through the story was clever as you discovered more about him and how he came to be the person he is. There were moments where I wanted to slap him for being an idiot, shake him for being blind to the obvious, hug him for being brilliant and applaude him for making the right choices at the right moments – any character that elicits so many emotional responses is a hit in my mind.

The world building was equally fantastic. The images in my mind of Mars slowly dilapidating after the Rift with Earth and their supplies were fantastic and real. The politics around the Rift were complex enough to be intruging but not so baffling as to put me off (I’m really not a big politics fan) and were essential to the story rather than an unimportant aside. Cleverly woven through the characters stories it became a mystery in itself and is one of the things leaving you gagging for the next book – you need to see how it all turns out in the end.

The creatures that Zenn works with are all works of art. I desperately wanted to be a vet as a child and this played on that love beautifully. The alien species were just the right balance of familiar and unknown to feel realistic. Schoon was very clever in his descriptions, using familiar things to describe wholly unfamiliar creatures to fanistic effect. For example, his description of a ‘seepdemon’ begins with the following: ‘About the size of a large sofa, the seepdemon could alter the form of her gelatinous, amoeba-like body at will, allowing her to flatten out like a carpet, roll up into a ball or stretch herself out as thin as wire…’ Simple description, used brilliantly.

The level of detail was also amazing, when Zenn has to treat a cat, an animal we are all familiar with, the process was carefully done as accurately as you could wish – it was a bit like watching a future production of Animal Hospital in your own head.

All of this brilliant writing is brought together in an exciting story that turns your ‘I’ll just read a chapter in the bath’ into ‘Oh, the water’s gone cold and I’m 75% through the book’ and leaves you frustrated at the end because you can’t start book two yet.

I was won over by Zenn Scarlett‘s beautiful front cover and wasn’t dissapointed at all by the story inside. I will definitely be waiting impatiently for the next installment to be released.

[Nara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry for sending me an advance copy of Zenn Scarlett through NetGalley. In no way did this affect my opinion of the book.

Although perhaps not one of the best books I have read this year, Zenn Scarlett was certainly one of the most interesting. From the start of the novel, you can already tell that there's going to be some amazing world building going on, with the descriptions of the alien lifeforms being quite thorough. In sci-fi (and high fantasy as well, for that matter), I just think that world building is incredibly important. We are experiencing a world that is not our own, and I feel that most people (including me) would like to know the details of that world. Schoon certainly fulfills that requirement nicely.

As expected of science fiction, it was quite scientific, for example, when describing the classification of the animals, all the medical lingo etc. It was definitely on the heavy side of sci-fi. This is no The Host or Across the Universe. I found that I had to concentrate on it rather intensely while reading. Accidentally skip a paragraph, and you're lost. The many names of the animals also confused me somewhat (probably because I wasn't concentrating. My bad.) On the other hand, I would totally get a rikkaset if I could (one of the animals in the book). They're freaking awesome: fur that blends with its surroundings, intelligent enough to communicate through sign language....I WANTS ONE!

Although the world building was indeed well done, and thorough, I found at times that Schoon perhaps spent too much time on descriptions and explanations, considerably slowing the pace of the novel down. There were times that I got a bit bored, to tell you the truth: all the science made me feel a bit like I was wading through mud. There was just enough intrigue to keep me reading, but it dragged on, so I found myself lightly skimming the novel at times (and then not knowing what the heck was going on, and having to go back to read the parts that I skipped. Bad move.)

There was very little romance throughout the novel, so if you're the type that reads predominantly for the romance (*cough Chantelle*) you'll probably find that you won't enjoy this novel that much. I suppose there was a bit of romance, but I personally didn't really see the connection between Zenn and Liam: it was a bit okay then/meh/whatever rather than me actually being interested in their relationship. I do feel that there will be more development of the relationship in sequels though.

Zenn Scarlett was interesting enough- the type of book you don't see that often in Young Adult- but on the whole, I kind of felt like nothing of note actually happened. There wasn't much action until towards the end, wasn't much mystery, wasn't much romance...despite that, I did actually enjoy the book, and would certainly recommend it to any fans of science fiction.

[Christal · Rating 3 out of 5]

See this review and others like it at BadassBookReviews.com!

Zenn Scarlett was a cute and fun read, but the story did feel a little disjointed at times. There was a lot going on and it didn't really come together until the end, making the middle feel a little meandering. Overall, the characters and the original premise were enough to overcome the shaky plot and make this an enjoyable read.

The world building in this novel was wonderful. I loved learning about all the different lifeforms and seeing the different medical issues they had. The cloister life was well-developed and the tension between them and the "towners" was stressful and believable. I liked the inclusion of politics between Earth and Mars as well. Mr. Schoon's world was vividly created and I cannot wait to see what creatures he introduces in the next book.

I really like Zenn. She was very smart and tenacious. She was a little naive, having lived in the cloister her whole life, and it made her too trusting sometimes. Her uncle Otha was interesting as well, but my favorite was probably the cloister sexton Hamish. He's a bug-like alien that has come to learn and help around the cloister. Liam was pretty obviously shifty from the very beginning, but I liked his redemption at the end. I am looking forward to learning more about Zenn's parents in the next book. I absolutely loved Zenn's rikkaset Katie and wish I could have my own!

The plot was mainly a "day in the life" story until about the last third. We learn about Zenn and Otha and their life at the cloister. We see the different alien animals they are in charge of and how they take care of them. We learn about their relationship with the "towners" and how there is a political rift between Earth and Mars. It was all interesting though not particularly engaging. I was waiting for a true angle to develop, some mystery or interesting twist. We are fed threads of possible sabotage at the cloister and Zenn's strange connection to the animals, but it took a while for those threads to really develop. The last third of this novel was well-done and provided many answers. It gave this duology a direction and showed us what was really behind the story.

Though this book did suffer from first-book syndrome, I think it created an intriguing platform for the next in the series. It seems like the next book will have more action and interesting reveals and I can't wait to see what is really going on with Zenn, her family, and the political heavy weights of this science fiction world.

Thank you to Strange Chemistry for providing an ARC copy of this book!

[Nayab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughts/Review:



Before this book I was adamant I DO NOT read Sci-Fi. Then the opportunity to review this book’s ARC popped up in my inbox. I was instantly drawn in by the cover (have you seen it? The burst of colours on the cover is… Wow)… Then I read the blurb and it reminded me of Men in Black and I was forced to evaluate exactly why I don’t like/read Sci-Fi… I couldn’t come up with a good enough reason… I mean, I’ve read books about Vampires, Werewolves and Witches so why not this? How could I say I don’t read Sci-Fi when I’ve never actually read Sci-Fi? (I blame stereotypes) and well, the rest as they say is history :P…



I really enjoyed this book! Again, it made me wonder why I was so against Sci-Fi when this book was just… A really really good read! It read just like I was watching a movie which just added to my overall enjoyment… You know that feeling you get of “could my night get any better?” when reading a book? That’s what this book made me feel. Just complete contentment.



The characters had a lot to do with this… Zenn was normal and I don’t mean normal for a Sci-Fi heroine but normal as in acts exactly as a regular girl would. I know this sounds like a given for any book but you’d be surprised at how many female leads I’ve come across who end up doing something no normal girl that I have seen ever does (resulting in me shouting “who does that?!” at the book… True story *embarrassed blushing ensues*)



How can I talk about characters and not talk about Hamish? I. LOVED. HIM. Which is what stunned me the most about this book. I’m all firm in the fact that I do not read Sci-Fi, because aliens, I mean… really? And then when I do, who becomes my favourite character? Yup you guessed it… An alien. Oh the Irony…



One of the reasons why I wasn’t sure about reading Sci-Fi was the long-winded unfamiliar names for things, I thought that they would just confuse me and at the start they did, (if I’m being perfectly honest) but part of that I think was because this is my first foray into the world of Sci-Fi - who knows maybe if you’re a regular reader of Sci-Fi the names won’t sound so strange to you…



The plus side to having this as my first Sci-Fi read is that Christian explains all the exotic and unusual characters and things right after he mentions them in his book and he explains in such a way that it is easy to understand for a first-timer like myself. The explanation itself is smooth and natural; I didn’t feel as if it was separate from the story or that it was being thrust upon me.



For the first time in a long time I’m glad that Zenn is part of a series and not just a standalone read. I can’t wait to delve deeper in to Zenn’s world!

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zenn Scarlett is another ARC I received from NetGalley and the publishers Angry Robot. This book came out Tuesday, May 7th, I'm a bit behind because of my lack of ability to sit down for more than 30 minutes to type. But here goes, my thoughts on this sci-fi book.

The story is about Zenn Scarlett, a 17 year old working to make it through her novice year to become an exovet. What is this you ask? Well as they live on Mars (way in the future, terra-forming sections and all way cool), she is learning to be a vet…for alien creatures. Neat and interesting concept right there, can't think of anything else like it which is always a surprise. Well things aren't that easy for Zenn with her absent father, helping out at the clinic where she lives with her Uncle Ortha, studying while trying to pass her 3 end of year tests that determine if she will move on to her next year in training to do this one thing she's dreamed about.

As if all that isn't enough she also has to combat with a series of inexplicable mishaps on the Cloister grounds that threaten their place uncertain. Towner, Liam, starts to take an interest in the animals and acting extra friendly towards her, despite everyone else in the Cloister thinking they are all disease carrying, man eating monsters. Then there is the little part where she might be sharing thoughts with the patients. Talk about stress! She must figure out if she is going crazy, pass her tests, and figure out what is happening around the Cloister with the help of Liam and Hamish, the Clinic sexton and huge insectoid who is also in training.

I really enjoyed this book, I liked getting to know Zenn and all the different creatures, especially Katie. She hasn't had many friends growing up and has spent her life with the animals and cares for each of them and as an animal lover (all be it more the cute fluffy types) I completely understood her. Her uncertainty at new situations, her concern she is losing her mind, her fears for her future and everything else. I also enjoyed Hamish and the way he was written, from a planet a society, where he must ask permission to do anything.

The book does start just a tad bit slowly but I enjoyed getting a feel for the new world and understanding Zenn so for me the pace worked for this tale. It has plenty going on to keep you entertained while you zoon right through it, and if like me get your imagination wandering. I can't wait to pick up the 2nd book and see where Schoon take it from there. Again Zenn Scarlett came out Tuesday May 7th, I give it 4 Cute Rikkasets, check it out.

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